Presents to jocks and training staff

Hi guys

Are there any norms or standards for payments/bonuses to jocks and auxilliary staff esp for feature races wins/places?
Any inputs will be appreciated

IMO forget about presents for the trainers and jocks. Their %takeout is more than generous.

Any groom of mine that is involved with a winner from workrider to spare race groom to head groom to the groom that does him all get a present if the horse wins and if placed the groom that does him gets a present. Always amazes me that the trainer can work 7/7 days with the horse but 90% of the time does not get a present but the jockey who might ride it a few times before it runs is normally 1st in line to be given a present by the owner.:S

Heard trainer Clinton Binda in one of the post-race interviews say that he bought his groom/ grooms a new car as they achieved a stakes target of R2millon .
Any confirmation? He did say though they still had to get licenced to drive.

Dubai has the fairest system i have seen

the club would distribute prizemoney for every race and place, up to 6th sometimes:
Owner 75%
Trainer 10%
Jockey 10%
Staff 5%

the 5% is tallied up every month and handed out monthly or seasonally. the trainer would have to declare to which person/s this money would go to.
most of the trainers i worked for would divide this amongst the grooms and give a bonus to any special horses(feature winners) work riders. if the werent any serious winners then the grooms got the lot.
as i rode a few winners and also worked a few champions, the grooms were always keen for me to ride their horses in the mornings.

Chippy much the same in UK. Divided up every few months and handed out to everyone. Good system.

Hex, take a percentage of the net value of the winning cheque that you can live with and split it with, trainer, jock, & grooms. There is no norm however some trainers have in their contracts that they get 25% instead of 10% when your horse wins a Grade 1, in this case maybe buy the trainer a toffee.

This is a very interesting subject, i wonder if the 25% paid by the owner when a horse does well would work in reverse; e.g.
Buy a Yearling, chosen by your trainer, for R250 000
Have in training for over a year at R 100 000
Said horse runs for 6 months without earning and costs another R 40 000

Then wins a maiden & is placed in a group 3 earns R80 000 in total, Give 25% to the Trainer/Jock/Grooms/Work Riders & why not throw in the Vet, Farrier, Physio, Chiro.............

How about the owner gets 25% discount on all bills when the horse does not place or win? Just a concept, use it dont use it....

Before judging, I have given perfomance bonuses up to 20k and one of my trainers a substantial amount more than that. We should never lose sight that owners want results and always pay, but what is the flip side to this?

I have stated this before but it bears repeating : Owning horses should NEVER be viewed as a likely source of profitability. It's a bonus if it happens.

It is rather a PATRONAGE of sorts with only industry insiders ( trainers, jockeys, vets etc., ) actually earning ( hopefully! ) an income from it.

The owner is rewarded by the thrill and glory associated with winning. But it wears off. Trust me. Lol. Whereafter you will ask yourself how delusional were you to pitchfork hundreds of thousands of rands into such a ridiculously wasteful activity?

I guess you guys don't know how much work *really* goes into getting a horse to a race. From feeding, to checking every leg, to bangaging, to putting ice on legs, to nebulising, to giving oral supplements, to massages and flexes, cleaning and organising racing kit, schooling and passing horses through the pens, saddling on racedays (Sundays and late night meetings), to loading horses on the float, waiting for vets and farriers through lunch hours, washing runners, hosing down after track, checking work tack, to ordering feed and bedding, counting all that feed and bedding that arrives, treating minor wounds, etc etc etc. The list goes on... And that is just a bit of what my job entails daily, as an assistant. The list still goes on. The grooms and trainers have other responsibilities themselves.

You guys make out like we aren't disappointed, ourselves, when the horses don't run well. It doesn't mean we have put in any less work! I work 9/10 hours a day, 7 days a week. Why should the trainer give a discount? The horses don't have an off switch for weekends and public holidays... And we are up at 4am every single day!

As for a bonus/ present - for those of you who give the grooms a small "bonsela" for a win, good for you! These guys *love* their horses and take great pride in them. They banter with eachother all day about whose horse is the best! They often live on the breadline, and so even a small amount buys school shoes or books for their kids. It really is a fantastic gesture, and it would be greatly appreciated! These guys remember each and every owner who does, trust me!

I personally think that it is essential that you give the groom a little something extra (even if he gets a "present" from the trainer). And I think that if you backed the horse and won something, you should definitely give the trainer something, because he facilitated that win. But, there are many who DON'T pay their bills... Lots of owners. They are the ones who normally squeal the loudest when the horse is not performing. So it works both ways...

Use it, don't use it...

Nice post Rubyclipper and just reenforces the old adage about two sides to every story !!

Ruby, agree 100% with you and by the way, I have always given the grooms a present, they are always first in line with me. The reality is that everyone in the yard gets paid for all the activities you list and the expected outcome is success or people would not buy or train horses. There are few jockeys I have given presents to however the big race winners have received good rewards.

My point was simple, the owner always pays, even when the horse flops, is bitten by a snake, is a talented Jet Master that cannot breath & is given away etc. etc...... Owners also work hard for their money & it is also based on performance.

I have often wondered if the expectation from an owner is to put his money down at the sales, pay monthly & if you have at least one horse that does well then give presents and bonuses? I am not a big punter by any stretch of the imagination so I wonder who takes the prices on horses? If it is not the owner then who?

Love the game and love have a runner, but i am realistic and give rewards where due not necessarily when expected.

Fair comment Tiger